Rio Wants Woody: Allen Offered "100%" Funding to Shoot His Next Film in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Woody Allen, Rio is calling. In a recent interview, Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes made it clear that he wants the "Blue Jasmine" director to make his next film in Brazil's second-largest sprawling metropolis: "I'll pay 100% of the production. I'll pay whatever it takes to get him to come film here."

Woody Allen, Rio is calling. In a recent interview, Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes made it clear that he wants the "Blue Jasmine" director to make his next film in Brazil's second-largest sprawling metropolis: "I'll pay 100% of the production. I'll pay whatever it takes to get him to come film here."

Paes has already made a number of attempts to lure Allen to his city, saying in the interview that he contacted Allen's sister and long-time producer Letty Aronson, and sent the director a message via Spanish architect and Allen's NY neighbor Santiago Calatrava.

Allen and Aronson have a cool set-up as independents who remain in complete control of
their films. Allen's films usually perform twice as well overseas as in North
America--"Midnight in Paris" earned $56 million domestic and $98
million foreign. Hence they raise foreign coin for each project, with support
from the foreign countries where they shoot, and have actors lining up to star
in them for basement rates. After his many sojourns abroad Allen returned stateside for Oscar frontrunner "Blue Jasmine," which was filmed in San Francisco and looks to outgross "Midnight in Paris" domestically.

As a result, Aronson and Allen are constantly solicited by foreign cities to shoot there.
(Shooting in China would be problematic because of censorship issues.)

In an interview with TOH!, Aronson said that "In
Europe, there is greater regard for the filmmaker. Woody's creative rights are
non-negotiable. We don't show anyone a script. No one participates in selecting
the cast, sees dailies, or the rough cut." And South America is hoping to follow suit.